Fruit-packing device



Feb. 15 1927.

. G. O. RESHAW FRUIT PACKING DEVICE Filed Jan. 29. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 awmmtoz (2. 6&371421" Feb. 15,1927.. 1,617,963

G. 0. RESHAW FRUIT PACKING DEVICE Filed Jan. 29. 1925 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Patented F b." 15, 1e27.

PAT

Em oFF'lcE.

enonen o. aesmw, or GOBY, comanno.

FRUIT-PACK I Application filed January My invention is adevicefor packing certain fruits and vegetables in the usual circular bushel baskets and for giving the top of the pack a crown or bulge with the pieces in the up er layer /arranged in concentric rings, t is being common y, known as ring packing. This style of packing is very desirable since it produces an attractive appearance when the opened basket is placed on display but it has not been extensively .used in the ast because it was done by hand and require time and skill. The object of this invention is to provide a simple ,and practical device by means of which such packing of a ples, peaches and other large fruit in'circu ar baskets may be rapidly and effectively performed without the need of skill on the part of the operator. With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings. u Figure 1 is apers ective view of the acking receptacle int e position which Iii 81S- sumes when it is being withdrawn from a basket of fruit packed with its aid, the removable bottom of said receptacle being upmoved in this figure.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the packing receptacle with its removable bottom in place, the receptacle being shown in position to receive the fruit. This view also ,illustrates in perspective an ornamental paper liner which is preferably used.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the packed receptacle and a fruit basket, in readiness tobe telescoped over the same. Figure 4 is a perspective view ill'iistratiug me nnvrcn.

29.1925. semi amino,

wall 2 issecured, said wall be" m at intervals. as indicated at 3, to ren or it expansible. These slits 3 are closely spaced to provide a lar er number of resilient fin ers or slats. 'T e slits 3 extend from one en of the wall 2 and terminate short of the other end of said wall, thus leaving a portion ofthis wall 2 which is inexpansi such portion being located adjacent the .shoulder 1. This construction provides '9.

projects inwardly from the wall to sup oi't a bottom disk 4 which-is removable an cooperates with the wall 2, in providinga receptacle inwhich to pack the fruit. To retain this receptacle in'position for acking, and also to act as means for with rawing the wall 2 and the frame 1-from a fruit.

basket, I provide combined handles and legs 5 which are secured to the frame land roj ec't therefrom in the opposite direction In said wall 2. Figs. 2 and 7 illustrate the receptacle supported upon the. membersfi in readiness to receive the fruit, and Fi 3 discloses said receptacle in; the sameposition, but. completely Ipacked. i

On reference to I ig. 7, it will'be seen that the parts 5 form in'efiect extensions of the wall 2 and that the frame 1 forms an inwardly extending annular shoulder within the wall 2' for supporting the removable bottom disk 4 in spaced relation to the bench, table or other supportin surface on which the devibe rests whi e the fruit is placed within it. It will be furthe manner in which a fruit basket is telether noted that the wall 2 constitutes a form scoped or v placed over the filled receptacle or pack-former and is shaped to conform to or acking form. the inner surface of the side wall of the I'igure 5 is a perspective view illustrating bushel basket. These baskets have their the manner in which the wall of the packside walls curved inwardly at their lower ing receptacle is withdrawn from the fruit portions and the spring fingers or slats pro-' basket to leave the fruit in the latter. duced by the slits 3 are correspondingly Figure 6 is a perspective view of a basket curved adjacent their free ends: Since the of fruit packed by means. of the invention. height of the wall 2 is somewhat more than Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view of the depth of the basket, it will be seen that the device in the position disclosed in Fig. 2. the pack in form or receptacle will hold Figure 8 is a top plan view partly broken a full bus el of fruit so. that the basket' away, showing the removable bottom for the packing receptacle. r

In the drawings above briefly described, by making the top of the isk 4 concaved the numeral 1 desi ates an annular invertas explained bel ow. ible frame, to which an annular resilient The botton disk is preferably of subwill'be completely filled. The crown or stantially concayo-convex form with its concave side disposed inwardly, and said side iswprovided witha lurality of concentric ribs which may be ormed by rings 6 of rubber or other desired material. A cover ing 7 of felt or other cushioningmaterial, may be secured to the upper side of the disk 4 and extends over the rings or ribs, so that no injury to the fruit. can take place. 'By constrnctin the bottom with concentric ribs,- ring packing of the fruit is greatly facilitated, as will be appreciated by anyone skilled in the artof=fruit packing. 7

It has been found by extensive tests that when a plain concavedisk, that is one that does not have the concentric ribs or ridges 6, is used in the form 2, the fruit will not arrange itself in concentric rings or rows when two or three horizontal layers of fruit are placed in the device and the latter. is then alternatively shaken back and forth laterally orin a side-wise direction and oscillated in a horizontal plane, whereas when such operation is carried out in the de vice with concentric ribs or ridges 6 on the bottom diskior ring facer 4, the fruit automatically adjusts itself in the grooves formed by the ridges and-then upon'filling the form and shaking again the fruit of the firstlayer is tightenedby gravity and the weightof the fruit above, producing a. very compact and regular ringed face on the finished pack.

, Of course, when this automatic ring-facing tionfand if that is desired, the first. layer of is performed the fruit in the outer layer will not be arranged with all of the stem ends or the blossom ends in the same direcfruit must be placed by hand. However,

the concentric rings reatly facilitate this hand packing of the acing layer both with respect to the time required and the ease with which it may be done by unskilled workers. There is a further important advantage of this ring-facer or bottom disk 4 in connection with the location of the latter entirely within the packing form or wall 2. Because of this construction, the device, both during the filling and after filling may be vigorousl shaken and oscillated to settle the fruit wit out any possibility of the two parts 2-4 of the device becoming detached pr separated and spilling the fruit.

The shaking is very important in order to get a pack that will not settle during shipment and thus arrive at its destination in a sunken condition which results in a lower market price and possibly an underwei ht package. To obtain a tight pack that will not 'settle during shipment, it'is not only necessary to shake the fruit during the filling of the form 2,-but, after the "basket is applied to the filled form as shown in Fig. 4 and both arethen inverted to the position shown in Fig. 5, it is important that the removable bottom or ring-facing disk 4 be held down or ring-facing on the pack during the removal of the form or wall 2. \Vhile the latter conforms to theinterior of the basket, these baskets varysomewhat in size and shape, and as the form is pulled outfrom between the, pack and the basket, the mass of fruit must necessarily settle into contact witlrthe basket walls. Owing to the ring-facing disk. 4 being pressed down during this settling of the fruit in the basket, the ringed top layer will be held intact and the bulged and ringedface of the pack will not be lost. After the removal of the form or wall 2, the disk 4 remains on the pack and to further settle cally and horizontally while pressure is put on the disk to hold the ringed face as the fruit settles to its final position from which it cannot shift during transportation. It will be seen on reference to Fig. 7 that the diameter-of the disk 4 is greater than the ,diameter of the small endof the wall 2, formed by the free ends of the springjingers or slats, and as this wall 2 is withdrawn while the disk 4 is held down, the latter will cause these spring fingers to yield outwardly and slide against the wall of the basket so that the pack is not disturbed and the fruit is not injured. This is important in thatit permits the transferv of the pack from the form to the basket with the least possible disturbance of the pack, and permits the form' to correspond ,as nearly ,as

possible to thefbasket both with respect to down into the latter as the fi" 't settles 1 05 thus retaining the ringed'facje on the pack.

To use the invent1on,1 the doose bottom small resilient end of the wall 2 and placed upon the supporting frame or shoulder -1 with its 'concave side up, the wall and disk- 4 is pushed through the thus forming. a receptacle which is sup 7 ported on aflitsurface by reason .of the combined handl'e.and leg extensions 5 of the. wall 2., When it is desired to use an ornamental paperili'ner 8, it is then placed in position upon the disk 4' and within the wa 2 as shown in Fig. 2. While this liner is. not at allessential, it is well worth its small cost sinceit. adds to the vattractiveness of the packed basket, protects the outer rin of the face of the pack and ma be used to dis layadvertising matter. on it is desire to have the face of the pack with the corresponding portions of each iece of fruit uppermost, the first layer must 'placedby handon the concave face-of the disk 4. The

fruit to form the, face is of uniform size and is properly positioned between the concentric rings 6 and between the outermost one and the wall 2. This portion of the wall 2 being in a fixed position with respect to the disk permits the face to be keyed so that all pieces of. fruit are firmly held in position. During this operation, the concentric rings greatly aid the positioning and holding of the fruit. The balance of thepack is then quickly placed upon the facing layer from a trough or chute, and during the filling the device is tilted back and forth laterafly and also oscillated to settle the fruit, as previously set forth. A basket is then inverted, placed over the device and pushed down and both are then turned over placing the basket in upright position on the floor. The operator may then-place one foot one the center of the disk 4 and by grasping the handles 5 ma pull the form or wall 2 upwardly out of t e basket while a light pressure is maintained on the disk or facer. It is better however to first start or loosen the form 2 by a few short jerky'mov'ements before pulling it entirely out. After the form is removed,the operatorthen places his hands on top of the facer or disk 4; with the fingers graspin the rim of the basket,

and the latter is ten rocked or shaken a few times to thoroughly settle the fruit while the facing layer is held in position. The disk 4 is then removed leaving the packed basket as shown in Fig. 6. When it is desired to automatically ring the facing layer, a quantity of fruit more than suflicient to cover the diskdis-"placedlthereon and the "entire device is then shaken or rockedverti cally and also oscillated horizontally. This operation due to the concentric rings or ,ridges on the disk 4, causes the first layer of fruit to be regularly arranged in concentric rings. The other operations as above described are then carried out to complete the pack. i

It will be seen from the foregoing that while the invention is rather simple and inexpensive, it will be'very desirable,

rapid and generally efficient. Excellent re- 'ecting inwardly from said wall, combined andles and legs secured to and projecting from the other side of said frame at circumferentially spaced points, and a disk re-' ceivable with n the aforesaid expansible wall and adapted to rest on. the inner projectin portion of the frame to co-act with said wal in forming a packing receptacle when the frame rests onfsaid combined handles and legs, the latter serving to withdraw the frame and wall from a fruit basket after the latter is telescoped over the packed receptacle and said receptacle and basket bodily inverted, the internal diameter of the aforesaid frame being sufiiciently great to permit the operator to engage the disk with .one foot while" withdrawing the Wall and frame from the basket.

2. A fruit packer comprising a facing disk, and a packing form having a shoulder upon which the peripheral portion of said facing disk rests removably, said .form embodying supporting means projecting below said shoulder and below all parts of said facing disk to rest on a horizontal surfade and permit horizontal shaking and lateral tilting of the form to effect settling of the fruit during packing, said form also embodying a fruit-retaining Wall projecting above said shoulder and surrounding said facing disk, said form being openat its upper end for reception of the fruit and being adapted when packed for reception in an. inverted fruit basket, the lower end of said form being open and of suflicient internal size to permit the operator to insert one foot iwarlcllly withdrawing the form from the baset y with the basket thereon.

' 3. A ring packer comprising a facing-disk having a concave side disposed upwardly and provided with concentric grooves in which.

to place and, key the first layer of fruit, and an u wardly contracted wall surround ing said acing disk and having a shoulder at its lower end upon which the disk rests removably, said wall having aninexpansible portion projecting a short distance above the facing disk to permit keying of the fruit Without danger of distorting the wall, the portion of said wall above said inexpansible portion being composed of resilient fingers,

said wall when filled with fruit bein receivable in an inverted fruit basket, w v ereand hold the facing disk down while uphand, after inverting the packed form upon the wall and facing disk may be inverted with the basket surrounding said wall, the facing disk being then operated to hold the ring facing of the fruit intact while withdrawing the wall from the basket and "disk.

4. In a ring packer, a facin disk having a concave side disposed upwar ly and formed withponcentric ridges to properly position the first layer of fruit, and a rigid fruitretaining wall extending above said disk and supporting said disk, said wall and disk being bodily movable to permit shaking of the fruit into the spaces between said ridges.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

\ 'j GEORGE O. RESHAW. 

